Seat 2: Tom Marchese, 23, Parsipity, New Jersey, USA (1,480,000)
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Tom Marchese is a name (and a haircut) that the poker world is still getting used to, but those who follow the tournament circuit have come to know him quite well. Primarily an online cash game grinder, Marchese spent the last few years fine tuning his skills as “kingsofcards” on PokerStars, zeroing the bankroll of many an opponent in the process. He started playing professionally around the age of 20 while still in college, and so far the decision has proven to be a wise one. Marchese has already earned well over $350,000 in online multi-table tournaments, though it wasn’t until January of this year that he nabbed his first career live result at the Borgata in Atlantic City. Marchese took 3rd in the $3,300 No-Limit Hold’em championship at the Borgata Winter Open, jumpstarting his live tournament career.
If that was the spark, the NAPT Venetian was Marchese's explosion onto the poker scene. Just 22 years old at the time, he bested a field of 872 runners to take the top prize, adding more than $800,000 to his wallet in the process. He went on to finish in fourth place in the €25,000 High Roller event at the EPT Grand Final, then notched two WSOP cashes in June, including a final table in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em World Championship. All told, Marchese has racked up more than $1.6 million just this year, and he's well on his way to improving upon that here in London. He's just had a birthday on Thursday, and grabbing his first EPT title this week would be quite a way to celebrate.